Cut-off shade for headlights.



,M. F. CASTLEMAN. GUT-OPF SHADE FOR HEADLIGHTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7, 1912.

Patented Jan. 28, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M. P. CASTLEMAN GUT-OFF SHADE POR H EADLIGHTS.

APPLIOATIUN FILED MAR. 7, 1912. LQ@ Jl] Patented @11.28, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/NI/ENTOR maurice Clemfl our-ciu"q enana ron. nnannion'rs.

holiness.

Specification of Letters Patent.

appueauon met umh 7, i912. serial No. 682,179.

To all lwhom it may conocen.'

Be it known that I, MAURICE l?. Cas'rnn` MAN, a citizenof the UnitedStates, residing at Berryville, in the county of Clarke `and State ofVirginia, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Cut-@ifShades for Headlights, oit which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This inventionirelates to shades intended; for use in connection withautomobileheadlights, or headlights of other vehicles, and. has for itsobject the production of a simple and efficient means vfor permittingthe driver of the car to cnt oli any portion of; the rays of light fromthe lamp at will...

The present device is especially intended. for use upon automobiles whenthe same are' traveling upon country roads wherein it isl oftennecessary to cut od a portion of thel rays of light ot the lamp in ordertoprevent blinding horses or occupants of approaching vehicles. At thesame time it should be understood that the present device does hot.

diminishv theintensity of the beam thrown.I from the lamp but merelycuts oli a portion@ of the beam sothat the light may he shaded from theeyes of horses approaching and the road over which the machine istraveling. will be at the same time fully illnminated Another object ofthis invention is the production of an eicient and simple mechanismwhereby the shields or hoods which are adapted to cut off the rays oflight may m y ture above briefly descrlbed it should he be quickly andeiiiciently operated.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists ingeneral of certainnovel constructions, arrangements and comn hina-tionsof parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and specifically claimed.

ln the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference indicate likeparts in the; several views, and Figure l is a perspective. view of anautomobile showing the shield device attached thereto andl also showingthe eiiect out cutting ott the rays of light at a desired point. Fig. 2is a front view of' the lamps showing the operating mechanism forv theshield hoods, the machine being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a topplan view of a portion ci' a machine showing the aI rangernentv of theoperating rod which co operates. with the lamp shields. Fig. 4 is afront elevation of the lamp partlybroken' away showing the shield hoodscross \sec\ "tionl Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing theshield hoods in a partially eX- tended position. Fig. 6 is an enlarged'sectional view through one of the bearings for supporting the shieldhoods. Fig. 'Z' is a central sectional view through the' lamp showingthe position of the shield hoods when not operated upon "by theoperating lever. Fig. 8 is a sectional View of the lamp showing theshield hoods with the primary hood cutting od part of the lightfrom theiamp. Fig. 91s a sectional view ot the lamp howing the shield hoods instill another posit-ion from that shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Patented aan. as, 1era.

Fig. l0 is a longitudinal sectional View of A the adjustable connectorfor connecting the hood-operating rods. Fig. 11 isa modiiied forml ofinvention showing the shield hood as mounted upon the, outside of alamp. Fig. 1Q is a detail perspective of the hand for clamping the hood,as illustrated in Fig. l1 to the lampcasing. l Fig. 13 is a top planview of the crank lever carried by ne corner of the machine forconnecting the operating rods which operate the lamp shields.

As previously stated, the present device is especially adapted to beused upon automobiles and may be so operated by the foot of the operatoror driver of the machine so as to easily cut olf the rays of light toany desired'point and also cause the light to shine to its fullintensity without moving from the seat of the vehicle.

ln carrying out the objects of the strucnoted that the device may he'applied tothe ordinary lamp now in use since the shield or cut oil'hoods l may be journaled upon the inside of the lamp casing 2, as illustrated clearly in Figs. 4.. and 7. These hoodsI y l are s o shaped as toconform to the cont/our of the inner portion of the lamp casing 2 andare concavoconveX in cross section. The hoods l are )ournaled upon stubshafts 3 'which shafts pass through the sides of the .casing 2 and carrynuts 4 upon their inner ends for firmly holding the hoods upon thestub-shaft 3. The outer end of the stub shaft 3 is provided with aknuckle joint- 5 whichA joint 5 engages one end ot the hood operatingrod 6. This rod 6 is rotated through the medium' ot a mechanismoonnected to a foot lever, as lhereinafter described;

vlt is preferable to use two hoods as illustrated in Fig 7, which hoodsmay be turned to form a sectional or telescoping shield, and each ofthese shield hood sections is journaled upon the same shaft 3.

The sectional cut-oif hood 1 comprises an outer section 7 and an innersection 8. The outer section 7 is provided upon its underface near itsrear edge 'with a depending lug 9, which depending lug is adapted toabut against the projecting lug 10 upon the upper face of the inner orauxiliary section 8 of the cut-off hood 1. 5 f

A coil spring 11 is wound about Vone of the stub shafts 3 and has oneend ixedly secured i to the side of the lamp casing 2 as at 12.

vThe opposite end of the coil springv 11 is folded about the lfront faceof the inner sec- 'tion 8 of thel cut-'od hood 1, as illustrated inFigs. 7, 8, and 9, and this spring 11 is adapted to normally holdvthesection in a vertical position.

It should be understood, of course, that as soon as the outer hood 7 isbrought to such posit-ion as to cause the projection 9 carried therebyto engage the projection 10 carried by the inner hood, the inner hoodwill, in turn, be swung with the outer hood, thereby entirely cuttingoli' the rays of light, or -merely cutting oil' the lower rays byswinging the hoods to a ted lines in Fig. 7

0f course, the usual lighting means may he employed in connection withthe lamp and the lamp may also be supported upon position, as shown indotthe usual fork supports 13, ormaybe supobvious that a very eicientand useful device has been produced whereby the light ported in anyother desirable manner.

It, of course, should be understood that the s ring 11 just describedmaybe used upon both ends of the shield hood v1, or may be employed onlyupon one end.

-4 Thehood-operating rods 6 extend transversely of the machine and havetheir ends ositioned in a connectin member 14.

heee ends are held in an a justed position within the clamp orconnecting member 14 by means of thumb screws 15, which 'thumb screwsirmly engage the hood-operating rods 6 and hold the same within thesockets 16 formed in the connecting member 14. The connecting member 14is provided with a rearwardly extending integral arm 17 ,to which arm isconnected a -link member 18. The link member 18 is connected to abellcrank lever 19 `which lever is pivotall secured to the front of theautomobile, as lllustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 The bell crank 20 is securedto the machine near its front end, and is connected to the arm ofthercrank 19 by means of a link rod 21. This bell-crank 20y is alsoconnected to the operating foot 23. The foot lever 22 through the mediumof a link rod ever 22 is pivotally' mounted upon the bracket 24 and isprovided' with a foot engaging portion 25. This lever is norf mall heldin such posit-ion as to keep the hoodY l in an inoperative positionthrough the medium of a spring 26, as illustrated-in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 11 there is illustrated an embodi ment of ,the present inventionwherein the shield hood is formed or carried upon the outer portion ofthe lamp casing 2.l ThisY cut-olf or shield hood 27 is pivotally securedto a band 28, which band inay lbe made-of with an angularlyextendinghook 29 which engages one of the adjusting apertures 30 formed in theband 28. The opposite end.

of the -shaft 28 is formed so as'to provide apair of overhanging ears 31for constitutsol ing a guide for the band 28. Through the l medium ofthe adjusting apertures 30 1t will .be obvious that the band ma beadjusted to accommodate diii'erent size lamps.

v The structure, as illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12l is especiallyadapted for use where the hood isattached to the outer casing of thelamp and where it is desired to attach the shield device or cut-o hoodtothe ordinary lamp without injuring the casin ln 'the structure asillustrated in Fig. l1` '1t should be noted 'that this hood will notonly act as means forcutting oil.E a portion of the ray of light butwill also act as a shield forpreventing moisture from collecting uponthe face of the lamp, such as snow or ice.

From the foregoing description it will be of the lamp of an automobileor "thervve hicle may be cut off to a diiierent line without reducingthe intensityofthe light.

It is obvious that minor changes'may be made in the form andconstruction of the invention without departing from the materialprinciples thereofA and it isv therefore not wished to conine the device'to the exact formherein shown and described, but it is wished 'toinclude all'such as properly come within the scope of the appendedclaims. What is claimed is: Y 1. ln a device ofthe class described, thecombination with a plurality of lamp casings, hoodscarried by said-lampcasings,

stub shafts connecting said hoods and projecting laterally therefrom,hood-operatingv said stub shats, a coupler;

rods connecting member engaging said hood-operating rods, a bell crankbeing adapted to be carried by the front Iof the vehicle, an operatinglink Vbeing adapted to pass along the sidepf the machine and connectedwith said bell crank lever, and means coperating with saidlastmentionedlink for controllingthe swin ing of said out o" hoods so Vtliatfthe'light rom said lamp casing may be cut olf toa certain determined line. j

2. In a' vehicle of the class described, the

combination with a plurality of lampl casings, cut-olf hoods carried bysaid casings, stub shafts carried by said casings, hoodoperating rodsextending transversely of said vehicle, coupler means connecting saidrods whereby the hood of eachzlamp may be simultaneously operated withthe hood of the other lamp, a Jfoot lever carried by said vehicle, andmeans coperating with said.

coupler for swinging the .same vertically whereby the cut-0E hoods maybe swung upon said casings so as to cut oii" the desired portion of abeamk of light from said lamp casings.

3. Ina lamp of the class described, the combination with a casing, of asectional hood comprising an outer and inner section, said outer sectionprovided with a depending lug, said inner section rovided with anlupwardly extending lug belng adapted t0 be'` engaged with said dependinglug by said outer sectionforcausing said inner section tion, means forpivotally supporting said sections within said casing, and holdin saidhoods in the top of said casing, an means coperating with said hoods forcausing the same to dro light whereby the light from said casing will becut off from the top of the lamp so asl to shield the eyes of anapproaching horse or a driver of an approaching vehicle.

down infront of a,v

5. In a lamp of the class described the c'ombination with a casing, of asectional hood comprising an'inner and an outer section, said sectionsbeing segmento-spherical in shape, means `fol' pivotally connecting saidsections to said casing, a coil sprin se-` cured to said casing andengaging sai inner section for normally holding the outer ends of saidhoods in a vertical positionin the top oi said casing, and meanscoperat- 1 g with said hoods for causing said hoods in front of a lightcontained vwithin aid casing whereby rays of light may be shielded to.protect the eyes of gan approaching horse or'the eyes of the driver ofan approaching vehicle. l

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix 4my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

MAURICE I". CASTLEMAN. Witnesses:

Jas-W. Fou-ir,

ConNnLIUs VAN DEVENTER.

-t be dropped from the top of said casing y

